Bone Abstracts

According to the literature data, some parameters of the femur (length of axis, length of femoral neck) are independent predictors of hip fractures, but such studies among Ukrainian patients are absent. The purpose of this study was to study age and gender features of some geometric parameters of the upper third of the hip in patients with intra- and extra-articular fractures of the femur.

One hundred and seventy-four survey radiographs of the hip joints of patients aged 50–89 years (median age 70.98±0.99 years) were analyzed, 154 of whom (97 women and 77 men) were hospitalized with intra- and extra-articular hip fractures. Assessment of geometry parameters of the femur was performed on the contralateral limb in relation to fracture. For the analysis, patients were divided into subgroups by gender, age and the localization of fracture.

It was established the significantly lower rates of cervical intertrochanteric distance (71.56±2.19 and 65.36±4.76 mm, t=4.74, P=0.04) and neck angle (131.00±0.71 and 128.09±1.45°, t=4.18, P=0.05) in women compared to men without fracture. In addition, significant effect of age on femoral geometry parameters in men and women with intra- and extra-articular fractures was found, but not in patients without fractures.

We found the significant correlation between age and length of hip axis (P=0.0002), length of femoral neck (P=0.00006), intertrochanteric distance (P=0.001), basis of the head (P=0.0004) and head diameter (P=0.005) in men with intra-articular fractures and significant correlation between age and length of hip axis (P=0.03), length of femoral neck (P=0.0008), intertrochanteric distance (P=0.03), head diameter (P=0.005), horizontal offset (P=0.008) and cortical thickness (P=0.00005) in men with extra-articular fractures of the femur. But we did not find the significant differences of hip parameters in women.

Identified differences should be considered for both planning surgery after hip fracture and for predicting the risk of hip fracture in older age patients.